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Establishment of a New Strategic Hub for a Maritime Capital… Launch of the Global Maritime Capital Busan Steering Committee

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the first meeting of the “Global Maritime Capital Busan Steering Committee” (hereinafter referred to as the Steering Committee) was held at 10:00 a.m. yesterday (September 25) in City Hall to discuss strategic execution plans for Busan’s leap forward as a global maritime hub city.

The Steering Committee is an affiliated body under the “Global Maritime Capital Busan Promotion Committee” (hereinafter referred to as the Promotion Committee), launched last August. It plays a pivotal role in policy task development and review, as well as in checking and adjusting implementation plans.

The Steering Committee is co-chaired by Professor Kim Kaya, Chair Professor at the Korea Maritime & Ocean University Institute of International Maritime Affairs, and Park Jae-yul, Co-Representative of the Busan Maritime Capital Development Council, and consists of about 20 experts from academia, industry, research institutions, and civil society.

At the meeting, participants intensively discussed the detailed implementation plan for the 12 tasks under the three major strategies for advancing toward a “Global Maritime Hub City,” which were announced by the city last month.

The first strategy, “Spatial Innovation (SX),” aims to reorganize urban spaces around five major ports, with the goal of positioning Busan not only as the economic growth axis of the southern region but also as a hub for the Arctic shipping route and a global center for maritime service industries.

The second strategy, “Industrial Innovation (IX),” targets the realization of a renaissance in the maritime manufacturing industry. Key tasks include fostering the marine-specialized power semiconductor and secondary battery industries, building an eco-friendly energy ecosystem across shipbuilding and marine industries, and promoting industrial transformation based on artificial intelligence (AI) and data. In addition, the city plans to pursue sustainable marine development through the establishment of a K-Blue Food* hub and marine ecosystem restoration projects.

• ●Blue Food: A general term for foods made from aquaculture or captured marine products, expected to provide sustainable diets for humanity with lower greenhouse gas emissions and minimal environmental damage.

The third strategy, “Talent Innovation (TX),” seeks to nurture advanced and high-level professionals who will lead the era of Arctic shipping routes and digital innovation in maritime and fisheries. The detailed tasks include building a specialized ecosystem linking geography, industry, and academia, centered on national base universities, to ensure a sustainable talent supply.

Based on the detailed implementation tasks discussed at this meeting, the city will further strengthen its cooperative system among industry, academia, research institutions, civil society, and government. The final implementation plan will be confirmed in December, after which Busan will concretize policies through government proposals and secure national funding.

Co-Chairs Professor Kim Kaya and Representative Park Jae-yul expressed their determination, stating, “We will do our utmost to complete the future of Global Maritime Capital Busan by bringing together the voices of citizens and experts.”

Meanwhile, the Promotion Committee, launched on August 28, aims to elevate Busan into a “Global Maritime Hub City” and consists of about 90 organizations and groups representing industry, academia, research, civil society, and government.

Seong Heui-yeob, Vice Mayor for Future Innovation of Busan Metropolitan City and Chair of the Promotion Committee’s Policy Council, stated, “The Steering Committee will serve as a think tank that connects the vision and strategies of the Promotion Committee to practical policies. Through a cooperative system encompassing industry, academia, research, civil society, and government, we will enhance the feasibility of realizing Global Maritime Hub City Busan and contribute to creating a new national growth engine for Korea.”